It Only Gets Better With Age

There's always one, and sometimes unknown (until now), factor in the old saying that "some things only get better with age." I used to regard that most of my personal relationships and friendships almost always resembled this truth. However, one should come to the realization that it always depends on what kind of relationship it is before coming to this not completely valid, but mostly credible, personal resolution.

The "Expensive Scotch in the Liquor Cabinet" Relationship
Some relationships don't require much maintenance. These should be referred to as the "expensive scotch in the liquor cabinet" relationship.

Let's presume in a hypothetical situation that you received a very nice and quite expensive bottle of scotch as a gift. At that time, you didn't really care much for alcohol. Or maybe you enjoyed it from time to time, but not enough to think you would need an entire bottle of it at home. Rather than insulting your friend, who purchased this rather expensive gift, you thank them and place it in your liquor cabinet in hopes that eventually, one day, you'll crack open the bottle and sip it with great pleasure (but probably not right now).

Years have come and gone, and suffice it to say, you've grown quite accustom to, hell you might have even acquired an eclectic taste for scotch. And there sits that bottle, all alone in your liquor cabinet, slowly collecting dust. As you pour yourself two fingers of that scotch and take your first sip, you begin to savor what has most certainly gotten better (if not at least stayed exactly the same) with age.

The "Grand Piano" Relationship
Be that as it may, not all relationships end up on such an easy, yet sweet note, as what I've mentioned above.  Some relationships require scheduled maintenance in order to keep producing successful results. This kind of relationship I would regard as the "Grand Piano" relationship.

Upon its arrival into your home for the first time, you're completely enchanted with such a wonderful musical instrument. But as you begin to entertain your guests with it, or use it when writing your next opus that will take the world by storm, you begin to realize that it doesn't sound like it used to when it first arrived. This, of course, is to be expected.

The more you use it, the more you realize that it needs scheduled maintenance and tuning in order for it to keep playing in top form. Once you have it serviced, it’s just as captivating as it was when it first arrived, instilling in you the very reason for acquiring it in the first place.

The 2-Fold "Leather Jacket" Relationship Principle
There are all kinds of relationships that can easily fit into the first two categories, but there are always special circumstances that usually require a third example. These relationships would fall into the "leather jacket" column, which isn't used very often, but when it is, two sub-categories are always needed for additional classification: Fashion Style and Preservation.

The "Leather Jacket That Doesn't Stay In Style" Relationship
Leather jackets are the epitome of cool. By the time you were in high school it seemed that at least one in every five students had one, and they usually wore them on a daily basis once the temperatures dipped below 60 degrees. On the other hand, just because they're cool now, doesn't mean they'll stay that way. This brings me to the first sub-category, the "leather jacket that doesn't stay in style" relationship.

There are certain articles of clothing that rarely ever go out of style. Perfect examples are these are: pea coats, button-fly blue jeans, black or navy blue conservative business suits, and vintage leather jackets. My very first leather jacket was purchased soon after graduating high school, and unfortunately it was not a vintage leather jacket.

Instead, it was manufactured in the fashion style of the early 1990s and by 2001 it spent more and more time in my closet, eventually never to be worn again. Only after being married for over two years did I finally come to the conclusion that my leather jacket, as nice as it was in 1994, would serve a better and much nobler purpose, as a donation to Goodwill.

The “Leather Jacket That Hasn't Been Properly Preserved” Relationship
For ages people have clung to vintage leather jackets, wearing them when appropriate and taking very good care of them. When a leather jacket hasn't been properly maintained, we arrive to our final example: the “leather jacket that hasn't been properly preserved” relationship.

Let’s say that you received a fantastic vintage leather jacket as a gift. You wore that jacket every day when the weather permitted it. Then, one day, you move to a warmer climate and that leather jacket suddenly doesn't serve the purpose in which it was designed.

Unfortunately, you left it residing in a moving box stored in your outdoor shed, until one day, you pull it out, and you realize that you haven’t been taking care of it, and it shows. You failed to protect it and condition it. By abandoning the jacket’s simple, yet obvious needs for longevity, you wonder if it will ever be able to be worn again. Will you be able to restore it, to take the time to nurture it back to what it once was, or will it eventually have to be discarded in the trash?

Why in the world have I taken the time to sit here, analyzing and creating lengthy relationship analogies?

Only for the most obvious reason that I have had recent encounters with certain friends and/or family that fit into almost each and every example I have put forth in this post.

I reconnected with an old friend who I hadn't spoken with for at least two years. That relationship was like the scotch. Even though we hadn't said one word to each other in those 24 or so months, it was like we never had been apart.

Unfortunately, I've also discovered the sad realization that one of my other most-valued and highly-regarded relationships has turned into the leather jacket. It hadn't been properly maintained and because of that, I’m not sure if any kind of restoration agents will ever be able to revive it; all due to preconceived notions of what one thinks of the other (and vice-versa). I’m hoping it can be saved, but even it can, there’s still the offset chance that it’ll end up turning into the other kind of leather jacket.

On a much more positive note, the relationship I’m most proud of is my marriage, which has turned into the grand piano. Despite minor issues, which are usually addressed and resolved rather quickly, it still plays just as beautifully as it did the first day it arrived, even more so, if I don’t say so myself.

My advice to you is this: it's up to you (as well as it is solely your responsibility) to properly decipher each of your valued relationships, and to treat each of them with the correct and proper manner as mentioned above. And may you be able to successfully restore any leather jackets that currently reside in your shed.

Until next time, dear readers.